1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a magnetic bead-based sample separating device, and more particularly to a magnetic bead-based sample separating device using a multiple serial reactor and a misplaced micro-channel net movement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic bead-based separating technology has been widely used in immunoassays, particularly, in the analysis of sample extraction of protein, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). The magnetic bead-based separating technology has two ways of operations: one is through manual operation and the other is mechanical operation using automatic apparatus.
In terms of manual operation, referring to FIG. 1, a flowchart of separating sample extraction by magnetic beads according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,270B1 is shown. Firstly, a mixing solution 11 is added to a tube 16. The mixing solution 11 includes several magnetic beads 15, and the sample extraction is bound on the surface coating of the magnetic beads 15. Next, a magnetic iron 14 is used to attract the magnetic beads 15 with sample extraction and suck the solution out from the tube 16. Then, a washing buffer 12 is added to the tube 16 for washing the impurities attached on the magnetic beads 15 with sample extraction. Next, the magnetic iron 14 is used to attract the magnetic beads 15 with sample extraction and suck the solution out from the tube 16. It is noted that the step of washing the magnetic beads 15 with sample extraction by the washing buffer 12 can be flexibly prolonged according to the state of cleaning. Then, the elution buffer 13 is added to the tube 16 for separating the sample extraction from the magnetic beads 15. Next, the magnetic iron 14 is used to attract the magnetic beads 15 and suck the solution out from the tube 16 to obtain a sample extracting solution.
However, the steps of binding the sample extraction on the magnetic beads 15, quantifying reactive reagent, sucking and adding solution, and then separating the sample extracting solution from the magnetic beads 15 are all done manually, not only labor consuming but also requiring lots of operating time.
Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,810B1, the magnetic beads enable the magnetic iron to suck the connected cells such as the sample extraction at the bottom of the tube via the compression of spring. Meanwhile, several tubes are purified and cleaned inside the corresponding tube. Lastly, the spring is released, such that the magnetic iron is released from the bottom of the tube to separate the magnetic beads for the extraction. Similarly, the operating procedures are still complicated and the operating time is long and tedious.
In terms of mechanical operation through automatic apparatus, all the procedures are automatically processed, such that the labor and operating time are saved and several samples can be processed at the same time. Despite the automatic apparatus produces more sample extraction, however, the automatic apparatus is expensive and uneconomical, and occupies a large volume of space.